Author Sharon Robinson Champions Legacy of her Father, Jackie

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Author Sharon Robinson is a champion of libraries and literacy. She is widely admired for her excellent books that inspire and influence young readers.

The daughter of baseball immortal Jackie Robinson, Sharon Robinson has written often about her dad’s legacy and impact on America. Her new picture book, Testing the Ice, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, demonstrates her father’s courage by relating a tale from her childhood.

Other highly praised books authored by Robinson include Jackie’s Nine: Jackie Robinson’s Values to Live By, and Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America.

Sharon Robinson also is an education consultant to Major League Baseball. The program she developed for MLB examines the life of Jackie Robinson and many of today’s baseball stars. It has reached more than 14 million children.
She is the vice chairman of the Jackie Robinson Foundation and a Spectrum Scholarship Presidential Initiative Honorary Co-Chair, an American Library Association national diversity and recruitment effort designed to address the specific issue of underrepresentation of critically needed ethnic librarians within the profession. Since its founding, Spectrum has provided more than 600 scholarships to qualified applicants enrolled in an ALA-accredited graduate program in library and information studies or an ALA-recognized NCATE School Library Media program. For more information about the Spectrum Presidential Initiative, visit www.spectrum.ala.org. 

Tell us about the genesis of the book ‘Testing the Ice’?

I love picture books! So, after writing fiction and non-fiction books for young readers, I was thrilled to work in this genre. I decided to start with a favorite childhood memory, which is also a story that serves as a metaphor for my father breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. I felt it was a perfect way to introduce Jackie Robinson to younger kids who may not know his story.

Why tell such a personal story?

There are many books out there about Jackie Robinson. The gift that I have to give to kids is that being Jackie’s daughter, I am able to write a book from a different perspective. I am able to tell a personal story and demonstrate the side of my father beyond the famous baseball player – the loving dad and husband.

What is the book’s key message?

Testing the Ice encourages kids to step out of their comfort zone and take measured risks. My inscription to them is: BE BRAVE! And do what is in your own power to make the world a better place.

The gifted Kadir Nelson is the illustrator. Tell us about his work for this book.

Kadir is an amazing artist. I was blessed to work with him on Testing the Ice. It was a special treat for both of us. It was my first picture book. And, Kadir was honored to work on a book about Jackie Robinson. After the story was written, I supplied Kadir with a wealth of family photos and special insight into the family dynamics. Along the way, I was fascinated to learn his extensive process. Kadir is very serious and very funny. He can also be quiet and shy. Ultimately, I have total respect for his work and admiration for him as a father and husband.

Many well-known people of the ‘50s & ‘60s are long forgotten or not familiar to young people today. Why does the legacy of Jackie Robinson endure and resonate?

You’re right. Jackie Robinson’s story, on and off the field, continue to inspire others. His legacy is well established in Major League Baseball. In 1997, MLB retired his number 42 in ballparks across the country and later established April 15th as Jackie Robinson Day. But, the Jackie Robinson legacy goes beyond baseball. For example, Jackie Robinson is a popular subject for National History Day projects. Authors write books about Jackie Robinson examining every aspect of his life. Educators use his story as an example of courage and integrity to assist their students with problems they face today. I can tell you that it is an amazing tribute!

My family has been intimately involved in the process of legacy building. My father defined our mission while he was alive. I will never forget the dinner table conversation that set the tone. It was in 1964. Dad told my brothers and me that he hoped we would each find a career that we loved, but that we would define our family legacy through activism. We were living in Connecticut – far away from the Civil Rights marches, sit-ins, and violence of the time as Americans – black and white – struggled to break down Jim Crow. But, our parents wanted their children to be involved in the movement. We began by hosting an annual jazz concert at our home to raise money for the Civil Rights movement. After my father died, my mother led the charge. She established the Jackie Robinson Foundation in 1973. My mother carefully monitors the usage of his image. Each subsequent generation plays a role to support this important legacy of activism while maintaining families and careers.

Was he a hero?

Yes, Jackie Robinson was a hero. By breaking the color barrier, he stood up against segregation with dignity and pride. He carried the weight of millions on his shoulders. His performance on the baseball field was heroic. He had an aggressive style of play that belied those that wanted him to fail. And, he was a symbol of hope.

What was it like to have a father who had so many demands on him and whose every move was scrutinized and analyzed?

I grew up with parents who were fearless, determined, and committed to social change. I watched and learned from them adapting to high standards and hard work. We integrated our neighborhood and our schools during an incredible time in American history. My father balanced our public life with private family time. We took regular vacations and enjoyed the privacy that our home afforded us. When our family had personal challenges, we bonded and fought back together.

Tell us about the work you are doing with Major League Baseball.

In 1997, I retired from an incredible twenty year career as a nurse-midwife and established an education program at Major League Baseball. In a partnership with Scholastic, we developed a curriculum called: Breaking Barriers: In Sports, In Life. It teaches children that obstacles or barriers are part of life. We give kids 9 values that I associate with my father’s success as strategies to overcome their obstacles. The program concludes with a national essay contest describing their strategy to overcome a personal obstacle. Over the 13 years, we’ve received tens of thousands of essays from children across America, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Their stories are inspirational! After selecting national winners, I visit the essay winners in their schools and bring them to a Major League Ballpark for a pregame tribute. One grand prize winner joins me for All-Star Weekend!

Breaking Barriers program is available to kids in grades 4-8 and is distributed free to classrooms in schools across the country. It is also available on line and for kids in MLB’s youth baseball program, RBI. Over 14 million children have participated in this rewarding program.

What is the mission of the Jackie Robinson Foundation?

The Jackie Robinson Foundation (JRF) is a national, not-for-profit, organization founded in 1973 as a vehicle to perpetuate the memory of Jackie Robinson through the advancement of higher education among underserved population. Uniquely, JRF provides generous 4 year college scholarships in conjunction with a comprehensive set of skills and opportunities to disadvantaged students of color to ensure success in college and to develop their leadership potential. JRF’s hands-on; 4-year program includes peer and professional mentoring, internship placement, extensive leadership training, international travel, community service options, life skills training, and networking opportunities. JRF has awarded over 4 million dollars in scholarship assistance, has 1,400 alum and 233 scholars in 94 colleges and universities across the United States. JRF’s strategic combination of financial assistance and support services results consistently in a nearly 100% graduation rate.

More Resources
You should be able to learn plenty more about Jackie Robinson at your local library. Try some of these titles to start:

Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson’s First Season 
by Jonathan Eig
Eig details the dynamics of Robinson’s hard-earned acceptance by teammates, the abuse Robinson took from opposing fans and players, the response of local and out-of-town press, and the impact the season had on Robinson’s family and on African Americans.

What I Learned from Jackie Robinson: A Teammate’s Reflections On and Off the Field
by Carl Erskine and Burton Rocks
Erskine, a pitcher for the Dodgers who joined the club a year after Robinson did, fits anecdotes about Jackie Robinson into an insider’s view of an era when players were only a half-step removed from working-class heroes.

Jackie Robinson 
by Arnold Rampersad
Possibly the definitive biography, this work features exhaustive research and dozens of interviews with Robinson’s family, teammates, business associates, and friends.